


it seems like nothing's right (probably because it isn't)

by orphan_account



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: ...salty, Author Is Sleep Deprived, BAMF Natasha Romanov, I'm Bad At Summaries, It's not that I hate Steve or anything I'm just, Light Angst, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Friendship, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Not Beta Read, Not Steve Friendly, POV Natasha Romanov, Protective Natasha Romanov, The author is self projecting (kinda), Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 13:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20116078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He whirled around to face Steve, espresso eyes cold and calculating, giving him a smile. It wasn’t one of the fake press smiles, nor was it one of the rarer genuine ones. It wasn’t even a sassy smirk. No, this smile was calm and dangerous. It was familiar.Natasha had seen it many times plastered on her own face, but never on someone else’s. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever witnessed this side of him before, but felt slightly satisfied as she noticed Steve’s visible fear from her spot in the shadows. He was in for it.





	it seems like nothing's right (probably because it isn't)

**Author's Note:**

> THIS FIC IS NOT STEVE ROGERS' FRIENDLY. DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ. Thank you!!

"Sir, Captain Rogers is requesting to speak with you," JARVIS alerted, stirring Tony from a dazed and only half-attentive state. He'd skipped debriefing again and was prepared for the storm.

He huffed. "Open up the speakers."

“What the hell, Stark?” Steve’s obvious annoyance crackled over the speaker. “We had a battle plan, so let’s _stick to it._”

“And let you get beamed up by robots like if goddamn Spock was in ‘Terminator?’” Tony hissed in response, not tearing his gaze from the project he was working on. “I think you should be just a touch more grateful that I saved your ass back there!”

"Why would I-"

_"Mute."_ He breathed a small sigh of relief once the Captain's nagging voice shut off.

The team had just come back from a mission that had gone well for the most part, but Tony wasn't the 'most part.' His never-resting mind was still whirring, left wrist pulsing with a dull ache, reminding him of how he'd messed up.

He found it amusing (and also endlessly annoying) how Steve could parade around the place like he was the boss of everyone and it was his tower.

_Because he is the boss of everyone, and it is his tower too,_ Tony's unhelpful brain supplied. _Plus, he's right. There was so much more you could have done._ His distractions made Natasha's act of slipping in and making a place among the shadows unnoticed.

It was getting harder to diagnose his feelings.

"Sir, Captain Rogers is entering your lab."

"Wh- what? J, I thought I told you to keep him out!"

"I'm sorry sir, but he entered the override code." The AI's voice sounded almost apologetic.

"Please add 'reprogram' to my to-do list."

"Stark."

He whirled around to face Steve, espresso eyes cold and calculating, giving him a smile. It wasn’t one of the fake press smiles, nor was it one of the rarer genuine ones. It wasn’t even a sassy smirk. No, this smile was calm and dangerous. It was familiar. Natasha had seen it many times plastered on her own face, but never on someone else’s. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever witnessed this side of him before, but felt slightly satisfied as she noticed Steve’s visible fear from her spot in the shadows. He was in for it.

“Y’know what, Rogers?” Tony took a step forward. He'd had it. “Do you fucking know what?” As angry as his words were, his voice stayed calm, which was absolutely terrifying (not that Natasha would ever admit it if you would have asked). Only his eyes were set ablaze, vicious gaze penetrating Steve and letting him realise in that particular moment that oh yeah, he fucked up.

"I spend countless hours trying to please you." The grin stuck to his face, though the façade was slowly cracking. Natasha was smart enough to know that Tony only let others see what he wanted them to. "Trying to please the whole damn team. I fix things. I make things. Hell, I'm even the fucking housecleaner when everyone leaves their shit all over the place. I've spent months being ordered around by your sorry ass, Rogers." He heaved a breath. Steve was about to open his mouth before Tony pointed a finger in his face and began talking rapid-fire.

"Don't think I'm finished just yet. You don't trust me. Yeah, I've noticed how you'll barely go out of your way to make sure I'm alright, usually only pressed by another teammate. You never ask for my opinion, even though everyone knows it'll be the most well thought-out, and I get scolded when I break off the plan to do something I'm positive will work. And then it does." His eyes glistened and Natasha couldn't tell if it was from inevitable tears or emotion. Probably both.

Tony gestured to his desk. "Do you see this? Ricochet arrows for Clint. Took me seven hours. I need data before I can perfect them. And here, Natasha's new-and-improved Widow's Bites, twice the electric power and now comes with customizable options for assault. Stretchy pants for Bruce. Started out as a joke, but I wanted to try it. Everything on this table, completed in just barely over 48 hours total. And they were made in my free time. Gifts, not requests." He spun around to pull up a document on his computer. "SI projects, SHIELD, the Avengers, Iron Man, bot upgrades, yeah, this is my to-do list. Take a good look."

Steve leaned in slightly, but Tony was already on the move. "Have fun with that. Not to mention the 400 other ideas I have forming in my fucking restless brain. Do you know how annoying that is, to never be able to relax? I always have to be fiddling with something, fidgeting, doing something to keep myself occupied. Honestly, it's pretty inconvenient. And I get accused of not paying attention, or being bored, or some idiotic thing like that. So thanks for checking on me Rogers, and don't worry, the migraine's finally easing up for the first time in two and a half days."

Tony stopped, facing Steve. Tears were dripping down his face, but he held the same dangerous smile and calculating gaze as when the man had first entered unauthorized. "Farewell, Captain."

He turned and left.

-+=+-+=+-

Natasha had something to do.

It mostly had to do with the blonde standing stunned, mere feet away from her, still unaware of her presence. She left the sanctuary of the shadows and trotted businesslike across to him.

"You really messed him up, huh?" the woman asked, when in reality she knew it was _Tony_ who had messed _Steve_ up. He'd think differently of the man after this.

He glanced up. "Nat, I-"

"I know full well what you did. I was watching the whole thing." She folded her arms across her chest, resting an emerald glare on Steve's hunched figure.

"Take his advice. Look at his list," Natasha gestured to the computer. "He would've closed out of it if he didn't really want you to see."

"Holy sh… JARVIS, how many projects are on this thing?" Steve murmured as he scrolled through it.

"Thirty two, Captain. Six of which have a deadline for next week, twenty one of which have a deadline for the end of next month, two are almost completed but overdue, and the last three have been labeled as gifts, having no immediate deadline."

Natasha watched as Steve shook his head slowly. "This isn't right," he whispered.

She rested a hand on his shoulder, but it wasn't in a comforting way. The touch was almost a warning. "No," she smirked threateningly. "It's not."


End file.
